| Companies in a wide variety of industries provide | | | | other demands on the resources. There are simply |
| customers with field services as a primary business | | | | too many shifting factors to quickly incorporate into |
| or as part of long-term customer service and | | | | a manual scheduling or work assignment process. This |
| support. Field service operators may include, for | | | | is particularly true given the competitive environments |
| instance, manufacturers who offer after-market | | | | of most field service markets, wherein customers |
| service, mechanical contractors, and property or | | | | are expecting not only faster service and more |
| utility managers. Depending on the size and type of | | | | accurate estimates of arrival and completion times, |
| organization, field services may involve a handful of | | | | but also that they "get it fixed" the right way the |
| employees in a local area or thousands of staff | | | | first time. |
| internationally. Regardless of whether such field | | | | Despite these challenges, field service operations are |
| services represent the primary business, a secondary | | | | often the last part of an organization to capitalize on |
| profit center, or a competitive differentiator, | | | | information technologies. Although many businesses |
| organizations with a field service component depend | | | | enjoy the efficiencies of enterprise resource systems |
| on efficient coordination among distant field | | | | and supply chain automation, those systems rarely |
| employees, dispatch and office staff, and the | | | | extend through the management of field operations. |
| organization's collective customer and business | | | | Moreover, the gains provided by existing business |
| knowledge. | | | | management solutions and supply chain systems are |
| Unfortunately, managing field operations accurately | | | | subject to the law of diminishing returns. In most |
| and effectively can be a challenge. Manual processes | | | | organizations, however, field service operations still |
| and uninformed decisions are the rule, not the | | | | represent the last frontier for technological innovation. |
| exception. Inconsistent work practices, lack of, | | | | There, process integration, targeted automation, and |
| inadequate, or untimely visibility into field activities, | | | | electronic information can still dramatically enhance |
| and volumes of paperwork hinder efficiency and drag | | | | productivity, operational insight, and management. |
| down both customer service and profits. Manual | | | | You need an end-to-end field services management |
| reporting of time and materials use requires | | | | system that can efficiently integrate customer, |
| redundant data entry, increases the likelihood of | | | | business, and operational information, making that |
| errors, and delays planning and billing. In addition, | | | | information accessible to both office and field staff |
| intellectual capital and know-how frequently resides in | | | | as needed for maximum efficiency in work |
| just one or two experienced people, leaving the | | | | scheduling, assignment, completion, parts inventory |
| organization at substantial risk of operational chaos | | | | management, equipment management, reporting, and |
| and loss of intellectual capital if the unexpected | | | | billing. Research your area for a group that can match |
| occurs. | | | | the appropriate field services management solution to |
| Yet even with the most experienced dispatchers, | | | | your specific business requirements, and determine |
| work-assignment decisions rarely take full advantage | | | | what solutions, like Microsoft Dynamics, are available |
| of timely data on resource availability, qualifications, | | | | to you. |
| service history, optimal routing, work priority, and | | | | |